Hogwarts Staff Room.
"I must say, Sagres," Professor McGonagall said, setting down her documents and pushing up her glasses, "this 'Magical Ruins Exploration' design is quite… ingenious. It has greatly motivated students to learn applied magic. Thank goodness those dusty books in the library are finally being used."
"Yes! You're absolutely right. The effect has been quite significant."
Professor Flitwick squeaked in agreement, nearly bouncing out of his chair.
"My little Ravenclaws came back describing those complex ancient rune puzzles, their eyes practically sparkling. This is excellent training for their logical thinking and the combined use of spells. But…"
He rubbed his hands, looking a little embarrassed yet clearly enthusiastic. "I was wondering, Sagres, if in future ruin rotation scenarios you might add some sections that focus more on precise spell control. For example, a floating stone slab array that requires exact control of magical output to cross, or attacking crystal clusters that can only be calmed with a specific frequency of Lumos. I can offer some interesting ideas."
Sagres nodded slightly. "Precise control of magic is one of a wizard's core qualities. It can certainly be included."
From the shadowy corner came an almost inaudible cold snort.
"Besides that..." Professor Snape's low voice sounded.
"Excuse me, Professor Snape, what do you mean?" Sagres looked at him inquisitively.
"Do you intend to teach a group of trolls who only know how to foolishly wave their wands?" Professor Snape said with disdain. "Or do you need me to remind you that flashy magic is meaningless in the face of deadly poisonous mist and corrosive potions."
"So what do you suggest?" Sagres asked with a faint smile.
Professor Snape's black eyes swept over Sagres, a hint of imperceptible scrutiny in his gaze. "Wouldn't dangerous potion residues naturally appear in ruins because of time or magical leakage? Or… traps that require specific antidotes to neutralize?"
Sagres looked at him with a smile. "So what do you mean?"
Professor Snape's face twitched. "It proves that pure counter-spells are not omnipotent."
Sagres continued to look at him. "So what do you mean?"
Professor Snape suppressed his irritation. "I mean, could some potion knowledge be appropriately incorporated into the trials?"
Sagres feigned sudden understanding. "I see."
He smiled. "You mean the trials could include mechanisms that require identifying, analyzing, and temporarily concocting simple neutralizing agents, or using the properties of certain potions to solve them, in order to more comprehensively simulate the dangers of real ruins. Is that right?"
"Yes…"
Professor Snape gritted his teeth. He had long realized that Sagres was doing it deliberately.
"Of course, no problem. You can just say it directly next time," Sagres said calmly. "However, for the specific design of the scenarios, I will still need to consult you."
Professor Snape seemed not to have expected Sagres to agree so readily, especially using the word "consult." He pursed his lips, suppressing his annoyance, and nodded reservedly. "I will compile some… 'educational' formulas and scenario concepts."
"That would be even better." Sagres nodded with satisfaction.
The other professors and Heads of House could not help covering their mouths and snickering.
"Oh! Oh! Did you see that?!"
A booming voice came from the doorway as Hagrid's massive figure squeezed in. "Professor Greengrass, the students are dealing with those flying stone statues. It's really fun!"
"Is that so, Hagrid? We were just discussing improvements," Sagres said calmly. "You're welcome to offer your valuable opinions."
"Oh! I was just about to tell you about that!"
Hagrid's face was full of excitement. He rubbed his braided beard, then seemed to realize it was a bit inelegant and quickly lowered his hands.
"How could a truly ancient ruin be without magical creatures?"
Hagrid continued, "Think about it! Sleeping treasure guardians awakened by magic. Or some harmless but chaotic little fellows. Or using Nifflers to find the golden key for the next stage…"
"Very good suggestion. Do you have more specific ideas?" Sagres asked.
"Of course!"
Hagrid looked at Sagres eagerly. "The Christmas gift you gave me, that book Ancient Magical Creature Habitats, has plenty of ready-made examples!"
Sagres looked at Hagrid and fell silent for a moment.
Clearly, placing live magical creatures into the instance would be very risky, especially since most of the creatures in the book he had given Hagrid were highly aggressive, including the Lethifold.
However, he did not reject the idea outright. "The element of magical creatures will require more careful design and safeguards. I will design several related unique 'instances' to be integrated as independent modules or as hidden areas deep within the ruins."
His words made Hagrid as happy as a child.
"Then could we also include some ancient rune analysis?" Professor Bathsheda Babbling asked curiously.
"Of course," Sagres nodded. "In fact, the current Magical Ruins Exploration already involves some knowledge of ancient runes."
"Oh, that would be even better," Professor Babbling said with a smile. "I hope the young witches and wizards can learn something from it, so my teaching won't be so strenuous."
As she spoke, she even winked.
Professor Sprout also took the opportunity to provide a batch of magical plants she had been preparing for a long time.
Among them were Chomping Cabbages, Mandrakes, Tentacula, Devil's Snare, Mimbulus mimbletonia, Puffapods, Fanged Geraniums, and others that were truly eye-opening.
"Everyone's ideas are very valuable," Sagres said, putting away the automatically recording parchment and quill as his gaze swept over the room. "However, the core purpose of the instance is assessment and training. Since everyone has their own areas of expertise and is willing to participate…"
He paused, then offered a suggestion. "Then why don't we establish a more comprehensive scoring system?"
"Scoring?" Professor McGonagall immediately became interested.
"Yes," Sagres explained. "The instance itself will have a basic score reflecting the team's overall performance. On top of that, we can introduce specialized scores, which each professor can manage separately."
He continued, "Professor Flitwick can set a 'Precise Spell Control' score to evaluate students' precision, control, and innovative combined use of spells within the ruins."
"Professor Snape can set a 'Potion Response' score to evaluate students' ability to identify magical potion residues, correctly analyze their components, and use their knowledge to solve problems."
"Professor McGonagall can set a 'Transfiguration' score to evaluate team members' mastery and application of Transfiguration."
"And Professor Lupin can set a 'Defence Against the Dark Arts' score. These can serve as methods for you to observe how well the students have mastered different abilities."
"Specialized scores will be independent of the basic score and will serve as additional assessment references," Sagres concluded. "This will not only reflect students' potential in different fields more accurately but also provide an intuitive basis for professors to select specific talents, such as potion assistants, outstanding spellcasters, future prefects, and so on."
This proposal immediately sparked discussion among the professors.
Even Dumbledore smiled and nodded. "A very stimulating proposal, Sagres, for both professors and students."
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